amazing.  God is pretty creative.  take a look at this site for even more examples of unbelievable beauty.

i get to be mama to this little cutie.

this was my first mother’s day with  my sweet daughter in my arms.  not just existing in hope and prayer or as an itty-bitty in my belly…she is here.  my child.  with her sassy eyeballs and gatsby-esque head decoration.  wearing a delicate, intricate, heirloom christening gown.  ben and i are so honored and blessed to be chosen to parent this precious gift.

on sunday, we dedicated her life to the Lord.  it was such a meaningful day.  thank you Heavenly Father for entrusting us with this gift and calling.

psalm 127:3-5

children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

and would you look at my handsome man?  he is such a wonderful papa.  loving and sweet and protective and prayerful and playful.  these two make a mama go all mushy.

it is so easy to just keep buzzing along without stopping to savor the lovely.  to appreciate the simple.  this image not only made me stop and think, “yes, i want my coffee table to be that“  it also made me think, “yes, i want my entire space and existence to be that”.

simple.

clean.

orderly.

bright.

appealing.

smart.

serene.

sprightly.

alive.

thoughtful.

not flashy and cluttered and ornate.  just calm and inviting and lovely.

…

Lord, help me to enjoy the glorious things in life.  help me to stop and rest.  to meander by the cool waters.  may my life be filled with grace and peace.  may i attract others.  help me to appreciate the simple.  may my life be marked by your beauty.

picture and recipe from the fabulous emily schuman @ the cupcakes and cashmere blog

cupcakes and cashmere strikes again.  miss emily is so lovely and smart.  her blog always inspires and encourages me to try new things…and throw a party!  because, well…why not?

this time, my eyes settled on homemade nutter butters.  genius.

just to be transparent here, i go through a big tub of chunky peanut butter every single week.  i am sure that i am single-handedly keeping the whole foods pb segment going with my weekly purchases.

anywho…back to cookies.  nutter butters pretty much take the cake when it comes to grocery store cookie aisle purchases.  i could eat a sleeve without batting an eye.  but then, all that processed gobbledygook tends to leave my tummy feeling less than happy. now i could just have one or two and be okay.  but who can stop at one?  that is is silly talk.  go for the gusto, am i right?  i know they use all those preservatives and concoctions to give them a longer shelf life…but really?  i mean, how long do they need to stay fresh after you’ve opened them.  like, three, maybe four days tops?  i don’t know about you but when there are cookies present in our home, they don’t last long.  hubby and i get the job done.  no preservatives necessary.  maybe if i were stocking up on snacks for my fallout bunker and wanted to make sure i had some peanut buttery morsels around for during a 2045 nuclear attack…

so, a real food recipe – with ingredients that i can pronounce and purchase without any chemistry necessary – that i can make in my own kitchen is the solution here.  a cookie that has the perfect balance of crunch and creamy and salty and sweet.  with ingredients like peanut butter and eggs.  you know the perfect treat that i don’t feel {as} badly about eating a handful at a time.

happy six months, my sweet little peanut! 

a very merry half birthday to you.

{did i just type half birthday?  as in, half way to one year old? good gracious.}

how happy and effervescent are you?  big eyes.  expressive brows.  wispy, warm blonde hair.  button nose.  wide, gummy grin that extends all the way to your long, curled toes.  your strong and chub-a-licious legs.

and those bright pantaloons.  dressing you is getting better and better.  although, i have imposed a bit of a fancywear embargo for our everyday apparel since you are such a droolypuss.  and talk about much ado about nothing!  not a tooth to be found.  any day now, i expect one of those pearly whites to just pop through, officially signaling your passage from infanthood into toddlerness.  but, in spite of the salivafest, nothing dental to report.  {hold off, little tooth.  stay safely nestled in those precious pink gums.  let my baby girl be a baby for just a smidge longer.  pretty please.}

by the way, you are in the 2nd percentile for height and weight.  tinier than 98% of the baby population.  the doctor just giggles as she reads it.  she thinks you are the cutest, petite little bundle.  and she is sufficiently impressed by your half-year-mark abilities.  you are small.  but FIERCE.  determined and strong.  frankly, your papa and i are already shuddering at your will.  ever since you learned that rolling is a handy way to get around, you are all over the place.  and fast too.  as soon as i plop you down, you are on the move.  rolling and shifting and grunting and flapping your arms wildly, beating on your belly little a little drum.  you pull at the blanket and shimmy until everything is just so…and then, you are off again.  rolling, rolling, rolling.

it is amazing to watch as your brain processes the world around you.  making connections.  perceiving space.  comprehending relationships.  now, when you see a toy {or anything that tickles your fancy, for that matter. fabric, earrings, ponytails, dog ears, etc.} that is outside of your reach, the wheels begin turning as you concoct a plan for how to get your little fingers on it.  it usually involves some grunts of frustration, a few furrowed brow glances at papa, followed by strategic rolls and flops and toe curls and pulls…and then, voila! your little fingers arrive at your desired location.  you grasp for your toy, pull it toward yourself, clutch it lovingly, and flop over onto your back in sheer victory and delight.  and while it isn’t pleasant to hear your sounds of annoyance and see you strain, it is pure magic to see your face in that moment.  that moment when you realize what you have overcome and accomplished.  and then, your parents realize how much you have grown.  how big you are.  you are doing so much.  you have such an independent streak.  we can already tell that you are going to keep us on our toes.  that you will challenge us.  that you have soooo much more that you are eager to learn and do.  that you have a big and bold personality locked and loaded in that tiny frame. “and though she be but little, she is fierce.”  that you will be complex and contemplative and analytical.  you will surprise us and enchant us.  bright, bright, bright.

we can’t wait to watch as your personality continues to develop.  we can’t wait to see what God has in store for you.  and we pray that God equips us to parent you with grace and strength.  may we point you to Him.  may you love Him deeply and follow after Him passionately.  may your childlike wonder continue as you explore His world and His words.  may you hold His promises to your chest and treasure them in your heart.  may you savor His presence.  may you experience and rely on His tender kindness and mercies.  we look forward to watching you as you grasp for and cling to His Word with tenacity and untamed love.  we pray that you will comprehend His precepts, revel in the joy and freedom that He provides, and walk boldly and victoriously.  “let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains.”  through the power of Christ’s redeeming love – in Christ alone, soli Deo gloria - may you move mountains little girl.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

this is totally in our future.

that and chickens.

aaaand…cue the eye rolls from readers. 

{yup.  we are officially those people.}

{and yes, i hashtag-ed the blog post title.  so now i am officially that person.}

{but seriously, check out the link above.  it is a super cool site and the garden design is super easy and practical.}

miss elinor and her papa tickled the ivories together in a charming little duet the other night.

melt a mama’s heart, why don’t ya.

p.s. i am clearly already outnumbered in the musical ability department.  sheesh.

this was a great weekend.  we had lots of sunshine and a lovely breeze.

and we kicked things off with big bowls of spicy goodness from good ol’ chipotle.  that place is just so darn good.  spice and flavor.  and meat.  oh, you tasty barbacoa, you.

and then, we wrapped up the weekend {and celebrated cinco de mayo} with a little fiesta with ben’s family.  with refreshing homemade sorbet and everything!  i’m talking mango + lime sorbet with a sprinkling of ancho chile powder to add some warmth.  increíblemente deliciosa.  what a relaxing day.  street tacos and fresh salsas…oh yes, and hanging out with our baby girl.  a baby girl who is looking older and older and less baby-ish each day.  sigh.

]]> http://swankyanddapper.com/2013/05/06/un-fin-de-semana-de-diversion-con-las-casablancas/feed/ 0 swankyanddapper photo 4 photo 3 photo 2 photo 1 http://swankyanddapper.com/2013/05/03/lil-beasts/ http://swankyanddapper.com/2013/05/03/lil-beasts/#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 14:33:56 +0000 swankyanddapper http://swankyanddapper.com/?p=6071 Continue reading →]]>

hey there AZ parents of littles!  you know how it is already 100 degrees out?  you know how you are already looking for something fun for your kiddos to do to beat the heat?  you know how summer is almost here and it is going to be even hotter than it already is and you will be desperately searching for something fun and healthy and different for your kids to do since you will be officially bored of going to the pool everyday and pretending that the water is cool and refreshing instead of feeling like lukewarm bathwater?  you know what i mean.

well, my dear friend hallie is a rockstar crossfitter and she recently sent me a flyer from her local crossfit.  they are having a summer camp for kids you guys!  such a fun and fresh way to keep your kids active this summer.  crossfit scottsdale will be hosting a lil beasts summer camp this june and july {um, this looks pretty great.  can parents attend too?  what if i am as short as a child?  no?  okay.  sigh} and pre-registration is already underway.  so, what are you waiting for?

if you live around these parts and have littles…do it.  i am sure they will have a blast and {if i know anything about crossfit…} will probably come home able to deadlift or clean-and-jerk or squat {insert other cool crossfit lingo here} a highchair or industrial tire or vw beetle or other such amazingness.

crossfitscottsdale.com

i might need to commission some fabulous printer to make this into a fancy print for me to frame and hang in our home.  i’m sure etsy has a store for that…

Advice for Raising Godly Children

John Witherspoon – Scottish Presbyterian pastor, President of Princeton (1768-1794), and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

1. The best exercise in the world for children is to let them romp and jump about, as soon as they are able, according to their own fancy.
2. A parent that has once obtained and knows how to preserve authority will do more by a look of displeasure, than another by the most passionate words and even blows. It holds universally in families and schools, and even the greater bodies of men, the army and navy, that those who keep the strictest discipline give the fewest strokes.
3. There is not a more disgusting sight than the impotent rage of a parent who has no authority.
4. I have heard some parents often say that they cannot correct their children unless they are angry; to whom I have usually answered, then you ought not to correct them at all.
5. Nothing can be more weak and foolish, or more destructive of authority, than when children are noisy and in an ill humor, to give them or promise them something to appease them.
6. Let it always be seen that you are more displeased at sin than at folly.
7. Nothing is more destructive of authority than frequent disputes and chiding upon small matters. This is often more irksome to children than parents are aware of.
8. I am fully persuaded that the plainest and shortest road to real politeness of carriage, and the most amiable sort of hospitality is to think of others just as a Christian ought, and to express these thoughts with modesty and candor.
9. Many parents are much more ready to tell their children such or such a thing is mean, and not like a gentleman, than to warn them that they will incur the displeasure of their Maker.
10. It is a very nice thing in religion to know the real connection between, and the proper mixture of, spirit [i.e., matters of the heart] and form [i.e., disciplines like family worship and church attendance]. The form without the spirit is good for nothing; but on the other hand, the spirit without the form never yet existed.